Draft rigging



E. BLATTNER 2,884,142

April 28,- 1959 DRAFT RIGGIN'G,

Filed March 8, 195a 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Hill!) Q Inventor: Emil H. Blattnerhis Attorney United States Patent DRAFT RIGGING Emil H. Blattner,Williamsville, N.Y., assignor to The Symington-Gould Corporation, Depew,N.Y., a corporation of Maryland This invention relates to draft riggingfor railway vehicles and has for its primary object the provision ofimproved draft rigging for application to a vehicle having fixed centersills whereby an associated coupler, without interfering with its normaloperation, is permitted travel in buff on the order of that obtainablewith floating center sills.

To afford better cushioning for protecting lading equipped with fixedcenter sills under humping and other conditions met in service, it hasbeen proposed to increase the length of the A.A.R. standard draft gearpocket between the center sills to accommodate draft gears of longertravel and correspondingly greater capacity. However, while such largerdraft gears are of advantage in decreasing lading damage, the maximumtravel so obtainable is limited to the permissive travel between thehorn of the associated coupler and the fixed striker at the adjacent endof the center sills.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide animproved draft rigging for fixed center sills wherein the striker isadapted for movement in buff with the coupler over a part of the latterstravel, whereby the travel of the coupler in buff may be increased tothe extent desired amply to cushion bufling forces.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved draft riggingwherein by associating the striker for limited movement with the couplerand cushioning bufling forces by a plurality of cushioning mechanisms,at least one of which is pocketed inwardly of the center filler,cushioning capacity in excess of any now contemplated is obtainablewithout resort to relatively expensive floating center sills.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter inthe detailed description, be particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims and be illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 isa plan view of a proposed embodiment of the draft rigging ofthe present invention shown applied to the center sills of the rail-wayvehicle with portions broken away and shown in section to more clearlyillustrate certain of the details of construction;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the draft rigging of Figure 1with portions broken away and shown in section to more clearlyillustrate certain of the details of construction;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view on an enlarged scaleof the outer end portion of the draft rigging taken along the lines 33of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view on the scale of and of theportions shown in Figure 3, the view being taken along the lines 4-4 ofFigure 1;

' Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken along the lines 55 ofFigure 3; and

Figure 6 is a vertical sectional view taken along the lines 6-6 ofFigure 3.

Referring now in detail to the drawings in which like referencecharacters designate like parts, the improved draft rigging of thepresent invention is intended to be applied to a railway vehicle (notshown) having as part of its underframe fixed center sills 1, thoseillustrated being of the conventional Z-shape and bounding a channel 2of rectangular cross-section and open at the bottom which extends fromend to end of the vehicle. Although adapted as well for application torigid shank and other types of couplers, the draft rigging has beenillustrated in association with a universally angling coupler 3 of thetype recently made an alternate standard and known as the A.A.R. Type F.

As is usual with Type F couplers, the coupler 3 is pivotally connectedfor universal angling to a vertical yoke 4 by a connecting pin 5 and theshank 6 of the coupler and is supported by a resilient coupler carrier 7pocketed in a striking casting 8 mounted at one end of the channel 2between the center sills 1. The conventional associated striking castingis fixed to the center sills. However, the striking casting 8 of thedraft rigging of the present invention is designed to be slidablymounted in the center sills and movable or slidable longitudinallyrelative thereto. For this purpose, its outer end, housing the pocket 9in which the resilient coupler carrier 7 is pocketed, is slidablysupported on a supporting or rest plate 10 which in turn is connected ateither end to and supported by a pair of check plates 11, one fixed tothe outside of the longitudinally extending vertical wall 12 of each ofthe center sills 1.

In lieu of the usual integral draft lugs the striking casting 8 has asits rearward portion a pair of transversely spaced arms or extensions 13having aligned key slots 14 extending transversely therethrough for thereception of a draft key 15. Inwardly of the coupler and straddled bythe arms 13 is a follower block 16, which in the illustrated embodimenthas its front face 17 contoured to accommodate the convex sphericallyand cylindrically surfaced butt 18 of the coupler 3. The follower block16 also has a transversely extending key slot 19 for the reception ofthe draft key 15 but its slot is lengthened forwardly with respect tothe slots 14 in the arms 13 so as to permit motion rearwardly of thefollower block 16, coupler 3 and yoke 4 relative to the striking casting8. Beyond the arms 13, the draft key 15 slides in transversely alignedkey slots 20, one in the vertical wall 12 of each of the center sills 1,this second pair of slots being lengthened rearwardly with respect tothe other slots to permit rearward motion relative to the center. sills,not only of the coupler and related components connected thereto, but ofthe striking casting 8, as well. Desirably, the slots 20 in the centersills are reinforced by portions of the cheek plates 11.

Contained within the yoke 4 between its rear wall 21 which connects itslongitudinally extending arms 22 and the follower block 16, is a frontcushioning mechanism 23 of suitable type, that shown being a houseddraft gear of the type now widely used in the present standard draftgear pocket and having a plunger 24 projecting from its forward end andengaging the rear end of the follower block 16. Interposed between thecushioning mechanism 23 and the rear wall 21 of the yoke 4 is a rearfollower 25 which projects in the usual manner laterally or transverselybeyond either sides of the yoke and in the conventional draft riggingwould be adapted to engage rear stop lugs fixed to the center sills,However, since this would limit the travel in buff to that of a draftgear accommodatable within the yoke 4 and the main objective of thepresent invention is to afford travel on the order of that obtainablewith a cushion underframe, the rear follower 25, instead, is adapted toengage and react against a pair of rigid buffing columns 26, one ateither side of the yoke, and each sliding in one of a pair of passages27 of corresponding cross section in and extending longitudinallythrough a center filler 28 on opposite sides of the king post 29.

The purpose of the buffing columns 26 is to transmit bufiing forces fromthe front cushioning mechanism 23 past the center filler 28 to a secondor rear cushioning mechanism 30 seated in the center sills 1 between thecenter filler and a backstop 31 fixed to the center sills. Since notlimited in longitudinal dimension by the restricted space availableforwardly of the center filler, the rear cushioning mechanism can be ofany length and type suitable to afford travel and capacity sufiicient,when added to that of the front cushioning mechanism, to meet anypossible demands for cushioning in buff. The type illustrated is ahoused double-ended draft gear, such, for example, as shown in mycopending application Serial No. 546,033, filed on November 10, 1955,with a plunger 32 at either end, each having substantially the sametravel as that of the front cushioning unit. The illustrated arrangementthus provides a total travel in buff about triple that of a conventionaldraft gear and with a corresponding increase in capacity.

Buffing forces may be transmitted to the rear cushioning mechanism andtherefrom to the backstop 31 through front and rear followers 33, onebetween the buffing columns and the front of the plungers 32 and theother between the rear of the plungers and the backstop. Straddling therear wall 21 of the yoke 4, the buffing columns 26 preferably haveoutstanding flanges 34 adjacent the forward ends, both to increase theirbearing area with the rear follower 25 of the front cushioning mechanism23 and to hold to a minimum the lateral play permitted the columns andthe rear end of the yoke. It will be noted that the rear cushioningmechanism 30 and its followers 33, as well as the yoke 4, onceinstalled, are held in assembled position by cross ties 37 fixed as byriveting to the center sills 1 across the underside of the channel 2 andthat the same function is performed for the connecting pin 5 by a crossweb 38 integral with the striking casting 8.

Depending upon the operating characteristics desired, the rear cushion30 may either be relatively stiff so as to cushion only under severebuffing forces, or soft acting so as to afford with the front cushioningmechanism 23 a relatively soft cushion under normal buffing forces. Ineither case, the tandem-arranged front and rear cushions, at least underexcessive buffing forces, will act in series to cushion the forces. Themaximum force in draft being much less than that in buff and adequatelycushioned by the front cushioning mechanism alone, the

draft rigging of this invention is designed for selective travel and hasno pulling connection between the rear cushioning mechanism and thecoupler so that only the fnont cushioning mechanism acts in draft.

It has been mentioned that the pair of key slots 26 are lengthenedrearwardly while the slot 19 in the front follower block 16 islengthened forwardly, both relative to the pair of slots 14 in thestriking casting 8 between which and the draft key 15 there issubstantially no longitudinal play. With the three slots so lengthened,the draft key 15 in the normal or at rest position of the draft rigging,is held tight against the front end of the center sill slots and therear end of the slot in the follower block. Consequently, while indraft, the front follower block 16 is held by the draft key 15 againstforward motion and serves as a draft stop for the front cushioningmechanism, it is enabled to move rearwardly, first relative to bothcenter sills and striking casting to the extent of the forwardlengthening of its slot 19 and then with the striking casting relativeto the center sills to the extent of the rearward lengthening of thecenter sill slots 20. By adjusting these lost motions so that they insum equal the total travel of the cushioning mechanisms and that betweenthe front follower and the striking casting is restricted relative tothe normal spacing between the coupler horn 36 and striker 35 of thestriking casting so that the minimum clearance between the horn andstriker will be sufiicient to permit the desired angling of the couplerrelative to the striking casting, full benefit is derived from the longtravel afforded by the draft rigging and the coupler is enabled tofunction normally throughout such travel.

From the above detailed description, it will be apparent that there hasbeen provided an improved draft rigging for application to railwayvehicles having fixed draft sills which, in conjunction with capacitymore than a equate to cushion any buff forces now envisioned underservice conditions, affords travel in buff on the order of thatobtainable with cushioned underframes, both without interference withnormal functioning of the coupler. It should be understood that thedescribed and disclosed embodiment is merely exemplary of the inventionand that all modifications are intended to be included which do notdepart from either the spirit of the invention or the scope of theappended claims.

I claim:

1. In railway draft rigging, the combination with center sills, a centerfiller fixed to said sills, a coupler and a yoke connected thereto, of astriker slidable longitudinally of said fixed sills, front and rearcushioning mechanisms arranged in tandem in said sills respectivelywithin said yoke and rearwardly of said center filler, rigid meansslidable in and extending through said center filler for transmittingbufiing forces between said cushioning mechanisms, and lost motion meansconnecting said striker to said coupler and said striker and coupler tosaid center sills, said means permitting said coupler to travelrearwardly in buff relative to said sills for substantially the totaltravel of said cushioning mechanisms and causing said striker to moverearwardly with said coupler over a part of said travel.

2. In railway draft rigging, the combination with fixed center sills, acenter filler fixed to said sills, a coupler and a yoke connectedthereto, of a striking casting in and slidable longitudinally of saidcenter sills, front and rear cushioning mechanisms in said sills, onewithin said yoke and the other rearwardly of said center filler, rigidmeans extending through said center filler for transmitting buffingforces from said front to said rear mechanism, and lost motion meansrestraining movement of said striking casting forwardly relative to saidsills and causing limited movement of said striking casting with saidcoupler during movement of said coupler rearwardly relative to saidsills under bufiing forces.

3. In railway draft rigging, the combination with fixed center sills, acoupler and a yoke pivotally connected thereto, of striker means in andslidable longitudinally of said sills, a front follower block withinsaid yoke, and key and slot means connecting said striker means,follower lock and sills and restraining forward movement of said strikermeans and follower block, relative to said sills, said key and slotmeans permitting said follower block and therethrough said coupler andyoke to travel rearwardly under buffing forces and causing said strikermeans to move rearwardly with said follower block over a part of saidtravel.

4. In railway draft rigging, the combination with fixed center sills, acoupler and a yoke connected thereto, of striker means slidablelongitudinally of said sills, and lost motion means connecting saidstriker means to said coupler and said sills said lost motion meanspermitting limited rearward movement of said coupler relative to saidstriker means and thereafter maintaining clearance between a horn ofsaid coupler and said striker means by causing said striker means tomove with said coupler during further movement thereof rearwardlyrelative to said sills.

5. In railway draft rigging, the combination with fixed center sills, acenter filler fixed to said sills, a coupler and a yoke pivotallyconnected thereto, of a striker in and slidable longitudinally of saidsills, front and rear cushioning mechanisms arranged in tandem in saidsills, one within said yoke and the other rearwardly of said centerfiller, rigid means slidable in and extending through said center fillerfor transmitting bufiing forces between said cushioning mechanisms, afront follower block within said yoke between said front cushioningmechanism and said coupler, and key and slot means connecting saidstriker and follower block and restraining forward movement thereofrelative to said sills, said key and slot means permitting rearwardtravel of said follower block and therethrough said coupler and yokerelative to said sills for substantially the total travel of saidcushioning mechanisms and causing said striker to move rearwardly withsaid coupler over a part of said travel.

6. In railway draft rigging, the combination with fixed center sills, acenter filler fixed to said sills, a coupler and a yoke pivotallyconnected thereto, of a striker in and slidable longitudinally of saidsills, said striker having an outer end pocketing a resilient couplercarrier and slidably supported on means carried by said sills,

front and rear cushioning mechanisms arranged in tandem in said sills,one within said yoke and the other rearwardly of said center filler,rigid means slidable in and extending through said center filler fortransmitting buffing forces between said cushioning mechanisms, a frontfollower block within said yoke between said front cushioning mechanismand said coupler, and key and slot means connecting said striker andfollower block and restraining forward movement thereof relative to saidsills, said key and slot means permitting rearward travel of saidfollower block and therethrough said coupler and yoke relative to saidsills for substantially the total travel of said cushioning mechanismsand causing said striker to move rearwardly with said coupler over apart of said travel.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE April 28, 1959- Emil Blattner by certified thatrequiring correct error ap ion and that the rested below.

pears in the above" numbered patent said Letters Patent. should read ascor-- read a corporation of Maryland,

' read in the heading to the lines 3, 4' and 5 HOBERTC. WATSON AttestingOfficer issimer of Patents

